1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to assemblies intended for the practice of a gliding, rolling, or walking sport. More specifically, the invention relates to a device for receiving a foot or a boot, as well as to a gliding board or rolling board, for example, provided to receive the device.
Assemblies according to the invention are to be used for snowboarding, snow skiing, waterskiing, snowshoeing, skateboarding, wakeboarding, and the like.
2. Description of Background and Other Information
Generally speaking, each device of an assembly for receiving a user's foot or boot affects the steering of the board on which such device is mounted, because it transmits steering forces or receives sensory information between the foot or the boot and the board. This is why the device must have predetermined characteristics. For example, the receiving device must be affixed to the board at the desired location, and must transmit the steering impulses or the sensory information with accuracy.
In snowboarding, it is known to retain the two feet of the user on the same board. The receiving devices are arranged so that the feet are oriented along a transverse direction of the board, i.e., not parallel to the longitudinal axis of the board. Thus, the toes are located in the area of one edge of the board, whereas the heels are located in the area of the opposite edge.
In order to take into account the characteristics specific to each user, such as the height, weight, shoe size, experience, and steering style, an arrangement is typically provided so that the position of the feet with respect to the board is adjustable. In practice, this implies adjusting the position of the receiving devices on the board.
Conventionally, a receiving device, or retaining device, includes a baseplate adapted to be positioned between the boot and the board. The baseplate includes a circular through opening that receives a retaining disk. The baseplate and the disk have complementary teeth for angular adjustment, i.e., stepwise adjustment, of one with respect to the other. The disk has parallel slots that are provided to allow screws to extend therethrough for fixing the receiving device to the board. The slots of the disk make it possible, when the screws are loosened, to displace the disk relative to the board. Consequently, the position of the receiving device can be adjusted with respect to the board, over a range corresponding to the length of the slots, on the one hand, and rotationally as mentioned, on the other hand.
In addition, the board has one or several rows of threaded holes adapted to receive the retaining screws of the devices. The rows are oriented along the length of the board. The user adjusts the lengthwise position of each device by appropriately selecting the particular holes within the rows.
Finally, it is possible to adjust the position of each device with respect to the board, in the longitudinal direction and transverse direction, i.e., translationally as well as rotationally.
However, it appears that it is relatively difficult to position the devices, even if only to find the locations that are suited to a given user. In this regard, indeed, each device must be placed on the board, such that the slots of the disk face a group of threaded holes. This makes it possible to tighten the screws. The selection of a group is not obvious, as it is usually necessary to perform a plurality of positioning tests. Thus, a first position is selected for each device. If such position is not correct for the device, it must be modified by removing the screw, selecting another position, and then reinserting the screw. These manipulations are difficult, in the sense that one must proceed by trail and error to position each screw, because the disk masks the threaded holes. Moreover, when the screws are in place, there is still a freedom of translational adjustment, corresponding to the travel of the screws in the slots. There is also a freedom of rotational adjustment, which corresponds to a rotational movement of the baseplate with respect to the disk. It is generally necessary to end the positioning by loosening the screws, displacing the devices, and then retightening the screws. The positioning is empirical, in the sense that it is generally not possible to find the correct locations directly.
Therefore, it appears impossible to achieve correct positioning at the first attempt with known receiving devices. Several attempts are generally necessary to find a position that is adapted to the user. In other words, positioning is inaccurate.
Furthermore, positioning is time-consuming, because of the manipulation of the screws, which often have to be completely loosened and removed before being screwed back into the holes, on the one hand, and because of the need for the user to evaluate the location of a device on the board each time, on the other hand.
Generally speaking, it can be said that locating an appropriate position for a device of an assembly according to the prior art is complicated.